18. Year C - Third Sunday of Easter

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VERSION: 29 April 2002

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C

In 2004: 25 Apr

In 2007: 22 Apr

In 2010: 18 Apr

In 2013: 14 Apr

In 2016: 10 Apr

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Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Easter season' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain (Alleluia),

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honour and glory and praise (Alleluia)! (Rev 5:12 NIV)

OR, use one of the standard Easter Sentences in the document 'Easter season', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

HYMN OF ADORATION

The song 'This is the feast' is especially appropriate for today, as it is derived (in part) from today's second reading from the book of Revelation.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

O God,

since you have raised the fallen world

by the humiliation of your Son:

Grant continual gladness to your faithful people,

that those whom you have delivered

from the dangers of everlasting death

may receive from you eternal joy;

through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Lord God, your own Son was humiliated

to lift up fallen humanity

and to rescue us

from the dangers of everlasting death.

Give eternal joy to your faithful people.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new (revised alternative)

(Let us pray for the assurance of Christ's presence. [silence])

Almighty and merciful God,

you made the disciples glad

by the sight of the risen Lord.

Remind us that he is always with us,

and that we now share in his resurrection.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Acts 9:1-6(7-20) The conversion of Saul

PSALM

Psalm 30

Antiphon:

You have turned my mourning into dancing. (Ps 30:11a NRSV)

SECOND READING

Revelation 5:11-14 Worthy is the Lamb that was killed

ALLELUIA VERSE

Alleluia.

(Since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again;

death no longer has any power over him.

Alleluia.)

To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever.

(Rev 5:13b)

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

John 21:1-19 Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish; words to Peter

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ (, raised to live forever).

Thank you, Lord Jesus,

for appearing to your disciples after you were raised from death.

Nourish the new life you have given us.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Self-giving God,

your Son gave himself as a Lamb to be sacrificed

to bring us life.

Take our lives and our gifts

and use them for your purposes.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

Our Lord Jesus Christ lives and reigns as the victorious Lamb of God. Let us bring him our prayers, so that he may present them before the one who is seated on the throne of heaven.

The regular response, OR:

O Lamb of God,

have mercy on us.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, whenever we are discouraged in our work for the gospel, come to us and renew us again in your service through your promises and your body and blood, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL PREFACE

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But most of all we praise you

for the glorious resurrection of your Son,

the true Passover Lamb,

who has taken away the sin of the world.

By his death he has destroyed death,

and by his rising again he has restored life.

And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter

and all the other witnesses of the resurrection,

with earth and sea and all their creatures,

and with angels and archangels,

cherubim and seraphim,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION

Jesus says: 'Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

For an Easter post-communion prayer, see the document 'Easter season', under 'Prayer after communion', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Almighty and merciful God,

you made the disciples glad

by the sight of the risen Lord.

As he has come to us in this meal,

remind us that he is always with us,

and that we now share in his reurrection.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL BLESSING

This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.

(May) the God of peace,

who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus,

provide you with every good thing you need

in order to do his will; . . .

OR, this doxology may be used before the blessing:

To the one seated on the throne

and to the Lamb

be blessing and honour and glory and might

forever and ever. Amen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, and follow the Lord.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Acts 9:1-6(7-20)

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: Revelation 5:11-14

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: John 21:1-19

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 30

For musical settings of Psalm 30, see Music Packages 4, 6, 8 and 9. For another setting of selected verses, see TIS 18 I will praise you, Lord.

The following paraphrase of Psalm 30 by David Sch¸tz may be sung to the tune Bethany ('Nearer my God to thee', LHS 872). If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

I will exalt you, Lord;

you rescued me

from the deep grave of death

that threatened me.

You did not let my foes

gloat over me in death;

I called to you for help,

you spared my life.

Sing to the Lord, you saints,

and praise his name.

Weeping may last the night,

joy comes with dawn.

His anger is so short,

his favour is so long!

So I rejoice in him,

singing my song.

Feeling secure, I said:

'I shan't be moved!'

But when you hid your face,

I was dismayed!

To you, O Lord, I called;

'Have mercy!' was my cry.

'What gain is there for you,

if I should die?'

'How can I praise you, Lord,

if I am dust?

How, from the grave, can I

speak of your trust?

Hear and be merciful!

O Lord, come to my aid!'

I called to God for help,

and I was saved.

You turned my mournful tears,

into a dance.

You stripped me of my grief,

robed me with joy!

I will not hold my tongue!

Now I, with all my heart,

sing songs of thanks to you,

O Lord, my God.

'THEY CAST THEIR NETS'

This hymn, by William A Percy, may be found in the Lutheran Book of Worship, no. 449, and is directly based on the gospel for today. The hymn is not easy to sing, and is also under copyright, but it may make a very suitable piece for a choir or a cantor to sing after the gospel.

'FEED MY LAMBS, FEED MY SHEEP'

This song is available in Sing to Jesus, no. 186. It is based on Peter's denial and Jesus' call to feed his sheep.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

ACTS 9:1-6(7-20): One of the most remarkable accounts in the book of Acts, the conversion of Saul to Christ, was of determinative importance for the Christian church. Previously he was in the forefront of the Jewish leadership's attempts to stamp out the threat Christ's teachings and followers constituted to Judaism. He was thus chosen by God to become the instrument by which the gospel was launched into the wider Gentile world. His conversion was followed by immediate proclamation of the gospel, constant danger to his own life, but brotherly acceptance by the apostles in Jerusalem. The record of his later activities bears witness to the reality and truth of this account.

REVELATION 5:11-14: When one considers the infinite vastness of the benefits from Christ's death and resurrection, indeed worthy is the Lamb to receive those attributes which are his, listed in the angels' song of praise, v 12. Note that the Lamb and the Father are placed on the same plane and treated as one entity, as every creature in heaven and on earth accords them the same honour and praise, v 13. We can well join the angels, the elders, and all creatures in their adoration!

JOHN 21:1-19: This post-resurrection appearance of the Lord follows those in Jerusalem. In each of those appearances the risen Lord needed to reveal himself to the disciples to be recognised. In this instance it is John who senses the man on the shore to be the Lord, perhaps because of memories of the catch of fish when Peter, James and John were called initially to follow Jesus. Here also Peter is told of his future responsibilities to catch people. In his 'reinstatement' Peter is both forgiven his earlier three-fold denial, and charged with privileged responsibility to continue the work Jesus had carried out as a spiritual shepherd. His following of Jesus would also include death by martyrdom.

VISUAL

DECORATION

Easter symbols and decorations can continue to be used.

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the first reading could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in the TEV Bible for Acts 9:5. The second reading could be accompanied by a symbol of the triumphant Lamb. And the gospel could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in TEV for John 21:11.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the first reading could be read by three (or four) readers: narrator, voice of Jesus, Saul (, and Ananias); and the gospel could be read by four readers: narrator (the pastor), Simon Peter, and two other disciples.

The second reading could also be dramatised. A narrator could read John's part, and a voice choir could speak in unison the words of the angels and the creatures. Alternatively, a choir could sing these passages to a simple musical setting.

CHILDREN

CHILDREN'S SONGS

Many children's songs use the image of children as 'lambs' of Christ. Such a song could be learnt this Sunday and used again for next Sunday. The following are suitable:

LHS

* modernised version available

Sing to Jesus

The poem 'The Lamb' written by William Blake has been recast by David Schubert as the following hymn, which may be sung to the tune Wollt ihr wissen (LH 163). It could be sung by a child or children holding a toy woolly white lamb (perhaps from the manger scene), with the questions addressed to the lamb. Perhaps the congregation could join in singing a repeat of verse 4.

Who has made you, little lamb?

Who has made you, little lamb?

gave you life and let you feed

by the stream and in the mead;

who has made you, little lamb?

gave you clothing of delight,

softest clothing, woolly, bright;

gave you such a tender voice,

making all the vales rejoice?

Do you know who made the lamb?

I will tell who made the lamb,

I will tell you, little lamb:

he is called by your own name,

for he calls himself a Lamb.

He has made the little lamb.

He is meek and he is mild,

he became a little child:

I a child and you a lamb,

we are called by his own name.

We are called by his own name.

TALKING WITH THE CHILDREN

Either:

Then either:

Next week, a connection could be made between this theme and Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

The story for the Third Sunday of Easter in year C is: Saul's conversion (Acts 9:1–20) (to be found in both the original edition and the RCL edition Series C for Easter 3).